When Brian McCann returned to his locker, Derek Lowe shouted across the room: "Great off day, Mac!"
A great off day, indeed.
McCann came off the bench in the ninth inning to tie it with a pinch-hit, two-out homer, then hit a two-run shot in the 11th to lead the Atlanta Braves past the Houston Astros 3-1 on Tuesday.
"If the game is close, I know I'm the first one off the bench to hit," the All-Star catcher said. "I'm ready for that. I know that's my role when I'm not playing."
The Braves were trailing 1-0 and down to their final strike in the ninth when McCann drove a 1-2 pitch the opposite way, the ball just clearing the wall in left-center.
He stayed in the game behind the plate and, two innings later, ended it with his fourth homer of the season — a towering drive down the right-field line, just inside the foul pole against Jeff Fulchino (0-2).
